Biju Patnaik

Biju Patnaik (Bijayananda Patnaik) an Indian politician, aviator, businessman, independence activist.

3rd Chief Minister of Odisha.

During World War II, he was a skilled pilot and famously undertook clandestine missions into Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia to support the Indian independence movement.

In Odisha, his birthday was celebrated as Panchayat Raj Diwas from 1993 to 2024.

His son, Naveen Patnaik, also went on to become Chief Minister of Odisha.
..